Two easy days

Some people walk the 23 miles from Richmond to Ingleby Cross in one day. True, it is flat the whole way, but that is a lot of miles. Tanya, Ian, Mandy, and John and I broke it up into two days and we were all booked at the same B and B yesterday, only the B and B had overbooked, so Ian and Tanya had to spend the night elsewhere. The owners were very nice about it, invited them in for a lavish tea, and ferried them back and forth for dinner and again in the morning. (Let's face it, they had to!)

One does not complain about flat, easy days, but then on such days, the scenery is less than spectacular. Never mind, it was not raining, the company was great, and we all had a good time.

Everyone seems to have a kvetch of some sort. Mandy: a terrible cough, Ian: a bad back, Tanya with her broken arm and foot pain. Other walkers have blisters, "postman's heel" or some such. Yet, everyone soldiers on.
This is Mandy walking through a barley field, her shirt pinned onto her pack to dry. I love that she used real clothes pins!





Would you believe that rats do the coast to coast? No? Well here they are going over a style:










You can see how scared Tanya was:





Look at this fine bevy of beauties!






Everyone wants to get a turn:





C'mom Mandy, I know there is a yummy in your pack!





The two couples are at the B and B I stayed at last time, but I came to the adorable town of Osmotherly. This is what the houses look lie:














This is the first day it is warm enough to sit outside at 5:30--granted with a couple of sweaters and jackets, but what a treat. That I can pick up the wi-fi signal outside is an added bonus.

Tomorrow, early, I will backtrack to meet Ian and Tanya. Mandy and John are doing a 21 mile marathon, so our paths now diverge.

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